The Front Porch
July 2011: Donor of the Month
“Why would I not do it?” This question popped into the heart of Shar Messaros when asked to chair the 2011 Catholic Women’s Conference. Some people are naturally enthusiastic, inclined to jump in, to answer, perhaps before they think things through. That’s Shar , and the women at Endow couldn’t be happier about it.
Shar Messaros of Erie, Colorado has been part of Endow for years. She met Executive Director, Terry Polakovic at a retreat and when Polakovic asked her to think about becoming an Endow facilitator, she said yes and has been involved ever since. She leads a small group and they have tackled many studies and look forward to more.
“I’m not perfect. I’ve made mistakes, but Endow has reinforced my dignity as a woman.” She recognizes that many women share that feeling. “Once a woman takes a class, she’s hooked.” Shar says she has loved watching women grow and flourish through the Endow program.
Shar demonstrates that there are many ways to support Endow and she does them all. In addition to facilitating and making a commitment to regular giving, Shar has stepped up to take on the task of chairing the conference. Her knowledge of Endow, her personable style, and can-do spirit made her a perfect choice. But she is quick to give credit to the others on the committee. “This year we have the best team ever!” They think it’s time to invite women to a fresh venue; this year’s conference is at Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Broomfield, Colorado, just south of Boulder and about a half hour north of Denver. “Women will enjoy seeing our part of the state,” says Shar, and her committee members agree.
“Please pray for the women who are coming to the conference,” Shar asks. The conference is slated for September 9/10 and this year’s theme is “The Courage to Love.” Bishop Sheridan of Colorado Springs will be the keynote speaker on Friday night. Concurrent with the pre-conference facilitators’ retreat Friday will be a day-long facilitator training for women desiring to learn how to lead groups.
“We must actively look for new facilitators”, says Shar. “For Endow to be healthy and growing, new leaders are always needed.” She recalls her conversation with Terry Polakovic years ago when Terry approached Shar about becoming a facilitator. “We shouldn’t be afraid to invite women to join us. People are complimented by that. Endow’s future depends on all of us.”
And all of us can do something. “I realized that if I could double what I give, it would make a tremendous difference.”
She encourages other women to follow suit. Shar knows money is tight for many people; she and her husband Mike had three children in college at the time she increased her gift. But Endow has such potential for good and whether a woman offers her time, talent or treasure, everything offered in love is needed and appreciated.
Award for Outstanding Catholic Leadership
2011 Awards for
Outstanding Catholic Leadership
November 11, 2011
Executive Director Terry Polakovic has been named a recipient of the Award for Outstanding Catholic Leadership. Each year, the Catholic Leadership Institute of Wayne, Pennsylvania awards those individuals who serve as exceptional role models in the Church. To read the press release, click here.
Commencement address at the Augustine Institute
Terry Polakovic addressed the Augustine Institute
May 14, 2011
Last month Terry Polakovic gave the commencement address to the graduates of the Augustine Institute in Denver.
The school provides a remarkable education in theology for serious Catholics. Much of what she said included her own story of being led by God into unknown territory and learning to embrace His Will for her life.
Looking into the faces of the graduates, she was ”filled with joy and hope for the future of the Church”. To read her speech, click here.
June 2011 Book Review
Book Reviews By Eileen Love
Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II by George Weigel
This bestselling book hit the shelves in 1999 and introduced the world to the life of John Paul II who reigned on the throne of Peter for nearly 27 years. Despite its daunting size, this book is an inviting read, easy to digest, and likely to bring the reader a richer and more profound understanding of one of the true giants of the last century.
Such a book would have to be written by someone who knew his subject well and it was. George Weigel is a theologian and journalist who knew John Paul II personally and theirs was a relationship of mutual respect and admiration. The author was privy to behind-the-scenes Vatican life and key players and the book is exhaustively researched.
From the early life of the man born Karol Wojtyla, to his days in theatre and poetry and philosophy up to entrance into the priesthood and eventually the papacy, the book introduces readers to a man who lived a dramatic life as a follower of Christ. He presided over the Church in times of world crisis and his pontificate served as a moral point of reference to those outside the Church as well as its members.
Endow women are aware of the treasure trove of papal writings left by the late Pope and Weigel does a considerable service by unpacking the documents and explaining their meaning, their significance and historical context. If there is any lingering thought of why a modern woman would want to put encyclicals on her list of things to read, this book this book handily addresses that. It is something of an academic exercise to walk with Weigel through these writings, but it leaves a lasting spiritual mark. Mostly this is a book about a man in love with God whose mission in life was to communicate that love to everyone. You feel it as you read.
Much to be appreciated are the beautiful color photos that complement the text. One picture that leaves an observer breathless is of an outdoor Mass celebrated in Seoul, South Korea in front of a sea of humanity that stretches forever. What comes through in this photo and many others is the power of one man’s extraordinary Christian witness. The name of the book actually comes from an answer the pope gave when asked about the purpose of one of his trips – in this case, to New York. John Paul II said he came as a “witness to hope”.
Initially I got this book out of the library and had to renew it many times. On one trip the librarian noted helpfully, “You can buy this book at the store, you know.” So I did and not only finished it but have returned to it many times; it is like sitting down with a dear friend.
The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II – The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy by George Weigel
This book completes the portrait of a Pope was that was so richly drawn in Witness to Hope. Here, author and theologian George Weigel writes a well-researched book that explores the pope’s undeniable contributions to the fall of communism. Only in recent years did Weigel obtain access to previously classified documents; he reveals back room maneuvers by the Polish secret police and the KGB and other communist organizations to discredit the Catholic Church and specifically disable the influence of a man they considered a huge threat and a formidable opponent.
Written in three parts, the book first covers the clash between the dark forces of communist ideology and Catholic faith. This part of the book reads almost like a spy thriller, especially the gripping scenes of the Polish Solidarity movement, in which union workers, fueled by the new Pope’s encouragement to “live in truth”, rose up to challenge the status quo. The moral power of John Paul II was their secret weapon and in the end, good triumphed.
Next, the author takes on the last years of John Paul’s life during which he exhibited uncommon grace in the face of advancing age and debilitating illness. Despites the ravages of his condition, the Pope still managed to, among other things, usher in the Third Millennium by taking a jubilee pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul, canonizing Padre Pio and Josemaria Escriva, consecrating the Divine Mercy Shrine in his native Poland, adding the Luminous Mysteries to the holy Rosary and presiding over World Youth Day in Toronto. In refusing to retire into the shadows, John Paul II followed the example of the suffering Christ, who, after all, did not get down from the Cross.
The book concludes with an assessment of the Pope’s incomparable legacy, including his Theology of the Body and his distinctive feminism spelled out in Letter to Women and Mulieris Dignitatem (Dignity of Women).
John Paul II once said, about people trying to tell the story of his life: “They want to understand me from the outside, but I can only be understood from the inside” (pg. 402). John Paul II lived a rich interior life, and Weigel does a superb job of describing it and reminding readers what informs it. Like nobody else, Weigel “gets” his subject and his inside look at the one who has been called the 20th century’s most enduring moral resource, makes this book one not to be missed.
Brigid’s Letter to Young Girls
Dear Friends,
Did you hear I’m getting married?! We became engaged over Christmas and as I write this, our wedding is 22 days from right now. I’ve never been happier and I am so grateful to God for laying out this path for my life with the man I love. My true love didn’t just appear on my doorstep one day, but I prayed he would find me and I waited as patiently as I could. Because my Endow friends are truly my family, and each of you is so important to me, I’d like to share some wisdom I’ve learned about dating and finding real love.
First of all: my guy. Seth DeMoor is a man of integrity, prayer, intelligence, and leadership. (He also happens to have the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen!) He is rooted in Truth and is a committed servant of Our Lord Jesus Christ. His love and devotion to the Catholic Church comprise the ordering principal of his life.
As I reflect on this tremendous gift, I have found no other response than an abundance of gratitude to the God who loved me into existence and with that same love holds me in existence in each moment. Thanks must be given to this Divine Friend for the extreme happiness I am living right now.
When I was your age, some simple tips and guidelines were offered to me and now I’d like to pass them on to you. I want to encourage and challenge you to spend some quality time with the Big Guy in prayer considering these points as you step into the world of dating. Contrary to popular belief, dating does not have to be a battlefield. It can be and is meant to be a time of great grace that allows you and the young man you choose to date to grow in virtue, maturity, and love.
Before you begin dating: Form a habit of seeking, knowing, and embracing God’s Will. Pray, study, reflect, and beg God to help you understand with great depth your authentic identity. You must know who you are, where you come from, and where you are going before you could possibly offer yourself as a gift to another. The more you truly know yourself as a child of God, the more you will have to offer your beloved. Trust in God. Do not look to your suitor or anyone else for that matter to define your dignity. Place your securities vertically from Creator to creature and not horizontally from creature to creature.
Deciding who to date:
Be Patient (both with God’s timing and your suitor). Let your suitor pursue you. Let him fight to win your heart. (You’re worth it!) Establish a solid friendship with your suitor. (This does not include text conversations. You must actually have real life conversations.) Seth and I hung out in big groups before we began dating. When he asked me to marry him he presented me with an Irish Claddagh ring as my engagement ring. This ring has great meaning. There are two hands holding a heart that has a beautiful crown. The hands symbolize friendship, the heart, love, and the crown, loyalty. Tradition holds that if you find a love based on friendship you’ll be crowned with loyalty your whole life long.
While you are dating: Continue to work on your prayer and sacramental life. Pray for each other. Pray together. Real love desires what is good for the other and real love makes a sincere gift of self for the sake of the other.
Purity, purity, purity. Practice modesty in dress and speech and let your real beauty shine through in this way. Don’t believe the portrayals of dating that are shown in TV and movies. Too often by our own decisions we can take away the level of happiness God has in store for us. Do not ask the question, “How far is too far?” Strive, through the grace of God, to live heroic purity. Set guidelines and boundaries. Find a dear friend to serve as your purity partner. Use your intellect. Impure acts are incredibly selfish acts. They take Christ out of the heart of the relationship and put self in the center.
Form great habits from the very beginning. It is important to build a solid base that is rooted in truth. With this strong foundation, the sky is the limit! Christ said that he came so that we might have life and have life to the full (Jn 10:10). Trust in God by making daily acts of faith, hope, and love. Accept the graces He offers to grow in virtue. Spend quality time with Christ in the Eucharist and then receive with gratitude His joy, happiness, and peace that will last a lifetime.
This is only a brief sketch of all I’d like to share with you…but all these convictions I hold and share with you are based on my Christian faith. You can learn more by spending time in church and of course, by participating in Endow. Watch this space next month when we post some wedding photos! And please keep Seth and me in prayer these next days and I promise to remember all of you in my prayers too!
In His love,
Brigid
June 2011: Donor of the Month
Shelly Saeman
Shelly Saeman is an enthusiastic Endow participant and recently worked on Endow’s Fundraising Gala, initiating our first-ever live auction. She recently took some time in the middle of her busy schedule to talk with us about what motivates her to support Endow.
How did you come to be associated with Endow?
I was introduced to Endow and met its Executive Director, Terry Polakovic, through my mother-in-law, Carol Saeman, a board member. This was four years ago when I was going through RCIA classes. I was baptized Catholic but didn’t practice any “religious faith” while growing up. When Craig and I met and began dating I started attending church with him… it was a deeply beautiful experience and I, at least in part, fell in love with my husband and my faith watching Craig pray and practice his faith. The Endow studies and the inspirational women of Endow have been nothing less than a blessing in my life and I continue to learn and grow in my faith with these women who are very much my sisters.
Why do you give to the Endow apostolate?
Craig and I give because we so very passionately believe in the mission. We have four girls of our own and now a granddaughter. We hope that our girls and the young women (and men) they surround themselves with will understand and embrace the truth as to what their vocation as a woman really is and embrace feminism as it was meant to be embraced instead of how it is portrayed in the secular realm.
Since you are involved in supporting Endow as a couple, what might Craig say about his willingness to support this cause?
That’s funny…I’m not even sure …he is on the golf course or I would ask him for his own words. He does however support Endow, the mission of Endow and our involvement with Endow.
What has been a happy outcome or story you can share about how Endow impacts women and girls?
Endow has changed my life, my outlook, my views. In embracing the journey, in the way that God has intended, I know I am a better wife, a better mother… a better woman. I believe that Endow impacts other women in the same manner and when I think about how many lives each of those other women touch it makes me hopeful about the endless possibilities.
What would you like to say about your work on the auction at the recent Gala?
Wow – what an honor to have been asked to be on the Gala committee! I was a little nervous when board member, Joanie Todd, first asked if I would help with the Gala this year as I had never done anything like that before… very much outside my comfort zone. Craig and I were asked to host the “kick off” cocktail party and I was asked to work on the auction part of the evening. I can honestly say it was truly one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had… working with a tremendously talented, spiritual group of women to pull off an evening that perfectly magnified the nature and dignity of women.
June 2011: Facilitator of the Month: Denise McElvogue
Denise McElvogue (Far left, Bottom row) with Brigid Sweeney and Kate Sweeney (Far right, Bottom row)
and seven potential Endow Facilitators in Ventura, CA.
Things are really shaking in California and no, it’s not an earthquake! It’s Denise McElvogue a nurse by profession and an Endow facilitator by the grace of God.
On a recent weekend, Endowstaffers Kate and Brigid Sweeney paid a visit to the West Coast where they attended Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Assumption in Ventura with Denise, followed by a leisurely lunch. Other Endow women – mostly new to the program – were on hand too, and hours passed talking about transforming the world, one heart at a time. About her Denver visitors, Denise enthused, “They are so young and full of energy!” She adds that one thing she loves about Endow is that “you feel so supported by real people. Endow is not just a book and a faceless organization…but real women who care.”
“Our priest, Father Steve Davoren, is so excited about Endow”, says Denise. “His excitement spread to me. I had been praying about ministry because I felt called, but did not know exactly where. After a parish information night on Endow, it became clear.”
Denise has always been involved at her parish – it helps that she lives right next door – but wanted something more than garden-variety Bible studies that were non-denominational. When someone handed her John Paul II’s Letter to Women, it spoke to her heart. “Women need to hear this!” Denise reflects that her prayer was answered over time but she is sure Endow is her calling and she is not shy about saying it. “When the Holy Spirit moves me, get outta the way, ‘cause I’m not stopping!”
That kind of enthusiasm seems to be what many parish women are responding to. And Denise knows that this bodes well for society. She is a registered nurse and currently works in home health care, and is part of an organization called California Nurses for Ethical Standards. She says, “The values Endow teaches fit so perfectly with other facets of my professional life.” Denise’s hope is that Endow will become a major part of the Los Angeles archdiocese.
Denise is married to Connan and they have a 19 year old son, Jesse. This California girl’s roots go deep and after living all around the country – plus two years in Turkey – she declares she is never leaving. “I love this place. I love the weather.” But most of all, she loves her church, and she wants other women to feel that as well. To other women she would say, “We are worthy of love; it is how we should live…knowing that, and thanking God.” She’d like them to feel at home in the church setting. Says Denise, “When I walk into church, I’m home.”
“Living as Mary did” by Archbishop José H. Gomez S.T.D.
Living as Mary did
This month, a month singularly dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is the perfect time to reflect on and reconnect with our Blessed Mother. Endow’s spiritual adviser and founding board member, Archbishop José H. Gomez S.T.D., was of the same mind when he penned his May 26, 2011 article for CNA (Catholic News Agency).
Archbishop Gomez writes on the importance of our relationship with the Blessed Mother and reveals that we were commanded by Jesus to take Mary into our hearts and homes as our own. He says, “We need to love Mary as our mother in order to grow as children of God.”
As an organization rooted in the true God-given dignity of women, Endow has a very personal relationship with the Blessed Mother. And when Archbishop Gomez urges us in his article to “try to take some practical steps to deepen our devotion to Mary” we fully intend to do so. In fact, Endow offers a study on Mary. Mother of the Redeemer (Redemptoris Mater) is a study on the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church.
In this study we quote a writing of Archbishop Fulton Sheen that says, “It is a terrible thing for men not to know their father, but it is even more terrible not to know their Heavenly Mother.” Visit our website today to learn more about this study and to grow in knowing the Blessed Mother more!
To read the full article by Archbishop Gomez, click here
To read an excerpt from Mother of the Redeemer (Redemptoris Mater), click here.
Endow on EWTN!
May 21, 2011 EWTN interview
with Brigid Sweeney
On May 21, 2011 EWTN Global Catholic Television Network: Life on the Rock with Fr. Mark and Doug Barry interviewed Endow’s own Brigid Sweeney.
Brigid, the Endow Youth Coordinator, spoke on the Endow movement (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) and its profound affect on Catholic women of all ages.
To watch the interview, click here.
“Women’s Authentic Nature Revealed in Motherhood”
A recent article on EWTN News, features an interview with Endow’s very own Board Member, Janet Teran. We are privileged to have Teran on our team at Endow! She is an authentic example for us all on motherly love:
… Teran notes that “Mothers love to talk about their children. To me, saying the rosary is like sitting in Mary’s lap, listening to her talk about her Son.”
Teran added that she connects the significance of praying the rosary to a phrase that defines the spirituality of her son’s community, “Through Christ to Mary and through Mary more fully to the Lord Jesus.”
Through this dynamic, Teran said she has come to understand and more fully participate in her own motherhood.
This Mother’s Day Teran encourages mothers everywhere by underscoring that “all of heaven, the entire heavenly host, are helping we mothers.”
Read the full article here: http://ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=3154